Andrea Maria Schenkel’s ’21 road to earning a bachelor’s degree in just two and a half years started halfway across the world in her native Germany. There she’s a highly acclaimed, award-winning book author. “I had a very successful writing career. I’ve written six books that have been translated into several different languages throughout the world, but I always longed for something more,” says Schenkel. “I wanted to earn a college degree. It’s always been a dream of mine.” As an international and non-traditional student at John Jay, Schenkel was determined to not only earn her bachelor’s degree in English but to also get the most she could from her experience at the College. She took a full course load each semester, including during winter and summer sessions, without taking any breaks. She attributes this unshakable eagerness to two things: her love for the College and the meaningful connections she’s made with her professors and fellow students. “John Jay’s a wonderful institution because it’s diverse in every way imaginable. It’s a commuter college, so it’s open to people from all walks of life, including older non-traditional students like myself,” says Schenkel, with a laugh. “To me, that openness and acceptance meant everything. When I walked into John Jay and met the faculty and students at the College I felt at home. I knew this was the place where I wanted to study.” We sat down with Schenkel to learn more about her John Jay journey and desire to earn a degree.

Her Life in Germany
Growing up, Schenkel had a deep passion for learning but found herself being pulled in a different direction as she entered high school. “For people in my generation, who grew up with parents who had very conservative views, marriage and family was of the utmost importance, and education was an afterthought. My parents never finished school—my father left school after the seventh grade because of World War II—and none of my siblings went to college,” explains Schenkel. “So, pursuing higher education wasn’t pushed. Instead my parents wanted us to get good jobs. They thought, If you earn enough money to make a living, put food on the table, and take care of your family, then that is good enough.”

Leaving high school at age 16, Schenkel soon landed a job, got married and had kids. Then she found herself doing what many good mothers do: put their kids first. “I lived a very normal life. I had three wonderful kids, who I’m extremely proud of and love dearly. I’m grateful that I was able to be there for them as they grew, helping them with homework, and making sure food was on the table. But even in the joy of that, I still felt I needed something that was just for me.” Elaborating further, Schenkel details how the desire to combine her role as a mother with something she could do for herself, as an individual, led to a writing career. “To me writing was the safest thing I could do to combine every part of my life without disrupting my being a mother. I could write from home and still take care of my kids.” Her first novel Tannöd, or The Murder Farm, as it’s known in the U.S., became an award-winning bestseller and marked the beginning of a successful literary career for Schenkel.

But as the book deals and awards kept coming in, and her kids went off to college, Schenkel found herself feeling exhausted. “I felt like I was a hamster on a wheel, finishing one book just to start another. I needed a break, I wanted something different. I wanted something to restore my soul.” She began to think about what would bring her joy and fulfillment and that’s when the idea of going to college and earning a degree resurfaced. “There comes a point in your life when you have to ask yourself, ‘What do I want out my life? What am I missing?’ This is the moment you put yourself first and start again. And for me, this moment led to John Jay.”

Her Life at John Jay
Deciding she was going to college was just the first step, getting there was an entirely different story and for Schenkel that included overcoming some technical obstacles. “In Germany, while college is free, it’s much more complicated to reenter the education system, so I knew I had to leave Germany if I wanted to go to college. The American education system provides international students like me more flexibility and opportunities,” she says. After earning her GED, taking the SAT, and fulfilling all the necessary requirements, she started searching for a college in America that would satiate her thirst for knowledge and welcome her with open arms. “I was in New York looking at some of the schools when someone suggested I look at John Jay. I took a tour of the campus and met with faculty in the English department and immediately loved it.” Remembering her first day as a John Jay student, Schenkel recounts the nervousness she felt as she walked into the classroom. “I felt very uneasy because I was so much older than the other students and I wondered, Would they really accept me as one of their own?” she says. “When I walked into that first class, some of the students thought I was the professor and so they kept their distance, but then after the second class they started to treat me like a peer, I was part of their group, and this was very good for me. I felt very accepted, and to this day we remain in contact.”

Along with the full-hearted acceptance from her peers, Schenkel was also encouraged by the faculty’s dedication to their students. “All the professors I had at the College were very engaged and devoted to their students’ well-being, educational growth, and success. It’s clear that they want to support their students and work hard to help them achieve their academic goals,” says Schenkel. “That quality of attention and care is very rare to find as you get older and go through life, and for me, seeing that level of dedication in action at John Jay was very refreshing.” After two and half years of determination and non-stop work, Schenkel officially became a college graduate earlier this summer. “When I made the decision to go to college and come to John Jay, I gave myself four years to accomplish as much as I could academically. Earning my bachelor’s as quickly as I did, means that I have some time to pursue my master’s degree and who knows, maybe even a doctorate.”

Her Life Today
Now a graduate student in the Master of Arts program for Liberal Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center, Schenkel is in awe of the journey her life has taken and she hopes to inspire others, especially mothers, to pursue their own dreams. “If your dream is to go back to school and earn your degree, do it. It’s never too late to start again. Try it, because it is worth it,” she says. “You don’t need to accomplish this goal in two years or even four years. You can take your time with it. Every step forward, even if it is a misstep, is progress because you’re learning and growing. There is nothing to lose.”

Looking to the future, Schenkel shares that she hopes to earn a Ph.D. and come back to the College to teach a course. “John Jay has given me so much that I want to be able to give back to the community. It’s a place that has helped me fulfill my dreams,” she says, reflecting on a cherished memory from her early days at the College. “I remember, one of the happiest moments of my life occurred during my first year at John Jay. It was late in 2019. I was standing by the traffic light at Columbus Circle, on my way to campus and I just felt this overwhelming sense of happiness. In that moment, I thought, I am happy,” says Schenkel, smiling. “To be able to go back to school as a non-traditional student and have this John Jay experience, to learn from all these wonderful professors and fellow students, it was just a good feeling. I’m a big believer in that learning is not something you do just to get a good job. Learning is something to do for yourself, for your growth; it’s good for you. Being at John Jay was good for my soul.”